Monticello Steam Electric Station
| Company type | Power station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electric power generation |
| Founded | 1974 |
| Defunct | 2018 |
| Headquarters | Mount Pleasant , United States |
Area served | Texas |
| Products | Electricity generation (coal-fired) |
| Owner | Luminant (subsidiary of Energy Future Holdings) |
| Parent | Vistra Energy (operational management) |
The Monticello Steam Electric Station was a coal-powered facility with a capacity of 1.88 gigawatt, situated southwest of Mount Pleasant, Texas in Titus County, Texas, United States. It operated from 1974 until its closure in 2018.
History
The plant consisted of three generating units: Unit 1 commenced service in 1974, followed by Unit 2 in 1975, and Unit 3 in 1978. Originally, the station utilized lignite sourced from local Texas mines but later transitioned to using coal exclusively from the Rawhide Mine operated by Peabody Energy in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin. Cooling for the plant was provided by Lake Monticello, which also serves as a site for recreational use. Ownership belonged to Luminant, a subsidiary of Energy Future Holdings, with operational management under Vistra Energy.
In 2008, Fluor Corporation upgraded the facility by installing Selective Non-Catalytic Reduction (SNCR) systems aimed at reducing nitrogen oxide () emissions, supplementing the pre-existing LO-NOx burner technology. In November 2011, to comply with the EPA’s Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, Luminant declared that Units 1 and 2 would be permanently idled, causing cessation of lignite mining at the nearby Sulphur Springs and Mount Pleasant Mines. Nevertheless, during the severe cold wave across North America in 2014, these units were reactivated in March to meet elevated electricity demand. That same year, Luminant resolved that starting in 2016, Monticello would exclusively burn coal sourced from the Powder River Basin.
Closure
In October 2017, Vistra announced plans to discontinue operations of all three units by January 2018, citing increased competition from renewable energy sources and plentiful natural gas supplies driving down wholesale electricity prices. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) authorized the plant’s shutdown during a November 2017 hearing, with the closure set for January 4, 2018.